Unwinding control device



1944- E. w. REYNOLDS 2,

UNWINDING CONTROL DEVICE Filed Oct. '7, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

[NI EN TOP E.W. REYNOLDS BY ATTORNEY NOV. 14, 1944. w REYNOLDS 2,362,665

' UNWINDING QONTROL DEVICE Filed Oct. 7, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fl 6. 2 a0 5 INVENTOP E. W. REYNOLDS A TTORNEY Patented Nov. 14, 1944 UNWINDING CONTROL nnvIoE Ellwood w. Reynolds, Wes'tfield, N. J., asslgnor' to Western Electric Company, Incorporated,

New'York, N. Y., a corporation of New York' Application October 7, 1942, Serial No. 461,223

7 Claims.

This invention relates to unwinding control devices, and more particularly to devices for controlling the unwinding of material in serving heads. v i

In stepping up the speedsof operations of material serving heads, for example those wherein tapes are served to an advancing core, numerous problems arise. The major problem is possibly the overcoming of the heavy frictional resistance of the material supply spindle bearings, which is due to the large centrifugal loads on these hearings. Qther problems include the elimination of tape breakage, uneven tension thereon and overlapping thereof resulting from irregular surges of the supply pads and their holders. These surges may be caused by unbalanced pads with a heavy axis orout of round pads. All of these eflects are greatly magnified by the large centrifugal multiplier inherent in high speed operations. Thus with the solution to these problems, the cancellation of the effect of all such difficulties makes possible the increasing of the speed of the serving heads to produce maximum output.

An object of the invention is to provide an unwinding control device which is efllcient in operation and adapted for high speed operation.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises an unwinding control device particularly adapted for serving a material from a supply onto an advancing core, and including means through a variable unit under the control of the material to drive the supply to apply a member II, it will be observed that this member is centrally apertured to receive a hollow shaft [6 which is rigidly secured thereto. The shaft I6 is supported by bearings l'l mounted in a suitable bracket l8. An outer portion of the shaft l6 has; conductor rings is and 20 mounted for rotation therewith on an insulating given tension on the material and remove the strain of rotating the supply from the material being served.

Other objects and advantages will be appar ent from the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary front elevational view of a portion of the serving head;

Fig. 3 is a. fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an end sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a wiring diagram illustrating a portion of the control means.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is first directed to Fig. 1, which illustrates a serving head, indicated generally at Ill, and formed of end members II and I2 having pairs of intermediate angle members [4 and 15 with their ends secured thereto. Considering first the end member 2L. Insulatedelectricalconductors 22 and 23 extend'through apertures in the shaft It to their respective rings l9 and 20. A bracket 25, mounted upon the bracket-l8, serves to support terminals 26 and 21 which are connected totheir respective rings l9 and 20 through brushes 29 and 30. The terminals 26 and 21 are included with theirbrushes in the electrical-circuit hereinafter described.

Referring now to the end member 12, this member. is similarly centrally apertured for mounting upon a drive shaft 32, which is hollow, for the passage of a core or cable 33 therethrough. The shaft 32 is driven by a sprocket 34 operatively connected through a chain 35 to any suitable power means (not shown). A main bearing 38 is provided to support the mechanism at this, the right, end of the serving head. The main bearing may include suitable frictionless bearings (not shown),to rotatably support the hollow shaft 32. A gear 39 is fixed to the shaft 32 and caused to drive gears'40 and 4| of the input ends of variable speed transmission units 42 and 43, respectively. The transmission units may be of commercially known types having constant speed driven inputs and outputs through adjustable means controlled-externally thereof. Gears 44 and 45 are mounted at the output ends of their respective transmission units 42 and 43. The speed ratio of these units may be varied by their respective motors 46 and 41. The mechanisms linking the motors with the transmission units are identical and the illustration of one. is believed suflicient for both units.

Attention is, therefore, directed to the lower unit in Fig. 1, wherein the motor 41 is shown provided with a shaft 50 for driving a worm 5|, the. latter driving 'a worm gear 52 which in turn drives its respective shaft 53. The mechanism associated with the shaft 53 is not illustrated in detail, it being understood that this structure maybe of the conventional type to bring about changes in the transmission unit to vary the speed ratio of 'the'g'ears 4|;and 45. The gear 4| being drivena't a constantspeed, this changewill bring about a changein the speed of rotation of the gear 45. The same change electrically.

variable speed 21' will take place in the unit 48 through the control of its motor and connecting mechanism.

The gear 44 interengages a gear 55, the lat- -ter being rotatably mounted upon the hollow shaft 32 and including a connecting bearing portion 56 which connects the gear 55 with a like gear 51. Thus, rotation of the gear 55 by its gear will impart rotation. tothegear 51. The gear 45 drives a gear 58 which isrotatably mounted upon the connecting bearing 55 disposed between the gears 55 and 51.

and, when driven by the common gear 39, the input of both transmission units 42 and 43.will be driven at the same speed; The output [gears It will be notedv that the gears 48 and M are of the same size sired number of turns about a large pulley portion 95 to which the cable is secured. A small pulley portion 95 of the same unit is fixed to the 44 and 45 are also identical, as are the gears 55, 51 and 58.

Attention is now directed to the'material supply units in the serving head. These units are identical in structure,.the only difference being that they are mounted upon opposite sides of the head. Between the pairs of anglemembers I4 and I5 are mountedbearings respective shafts '62 and 63. These shafts port-holders 54-and 65respectively for pads supof material which inthepresent instance is tape and identifiedby reference numerals 61 and 68 respectively. 'Worm gears and H are fixedly mounted upon their respective shafts and are adapted to be driven by worms 12 and 13 respectively. The worms 1 2 and 13. aremounted upon shafts 14 and 15 respectively, which are journaled in suitable bearings and have gears 16 and 18, respectively, mounted upon the outer ends thereof. These gears, as illustrated inFig. 1', are positioned to be driven by gears 58 and 51 respectively. Thus far it is apparent that separate means is provided to drive the material supplies at variable speeds.

- .The meansto control the motors 46 and 41 to bring about variations'in the speeds of rotation of the supplies, will. .now be described. This means'isunder the control of the tapes 51 and 68. First consider the travel of the tape-from each supply. Referring firstto the supply or'pad 0n the holder 6.4, attention is. now' directed to Fig. 2, where the, tape 61..fromv.this pad travels beneath a roller 80, around .a roller 81, back around a rollerv 82, and-finally around a roller 80, 82 and 83 are 83' to thecore 33. The rollers mounted upon suitable spindles supported by a bracket 85, the latter being; fixedly mounted between the pairsof angle members I4. The material,. in passing from the roller 80 around the roller BI and back to the roller 82, forms a loop several inches in length which may be varied due to variationsin. tension on the material, to cause lateral movement-ofthe roller BI and its supporting means. This roller (Figs. 1 and 3) is supported by aspindle 81carried by a cradle 88, the

latter straddling a housing 88 and being of the general contour shown in Fig. 1. The housing 89 is hollow and rectangular in general contour, to receive a set of threerollers or bearings 88, 91 and 92 which-are rotatablyimounted upon shafts carried by the leg portions of the'cradle 88. The rollers 98 and 9I= have their axeslying in a-commonplane, whereas the axis of theroller 92 is spaced therefrom and parallel therewith, the purpose being to-cause the rollers 90 and SI to ride along one wall of the housing 89 and the roller SZ to ride along theopposite wall thereof. The rollers, therefore, provide a support for the cradle and for the roller 8I', but hold the roller 60 and 6| for their 1 portion 95, thisiunit being rotatably supported on a spindle 91, the latter being mounted upon a suitable angle member of the pair I4. IA- cable or other suitable means 98 has one end secured in aldei lnite' plane with; respect; to the other 7-5 to the .pulley portion and given a desired number of turns thereon, the opposite end of the cable being secured to one end of a spring 99 whichhassuficient force to apply a desired tension on the material'through'the cable and pulley connections with the roller 8| or its cradle 88.

An electrical contact I8I is supported by the cradle 88v and insulated therefrom, by suitable means such as a member I82, to move with the cradle and the roller 8I during any variations in the loop of the material passing about the roller. Contact strips- I03, disposed in parallel spaced positions (Figs. 2 and 3'), are supported by a suitable bracket I;ll4 ;moun-ted upon one of the angle-members I4, and are positioned to be engaged by the contact I'll-l during the travel of the cradle 88. One of the contact strips I03 is electrically connected to one of I the angle members I4 as shown in Fig. 5. The contact strips I03 are posit-ioned, however, so thatthe contact IOI .will not engage them until the cradle reaches approximatelythe midpoint of its complete, possible, travel toward the supply.- The contact strips are of suflicient length, however, to maintain electrical connection with. the contact should the cradle be caused to .travel a greater distance toward its supply. Through thisstruotureyas will hereinafter he described, the circuit to the motor 41 willlbe controlled.

In view of the fact that ,the tension control means for, the material 58 isidentical (to that just described for the material 61, it isithought unnecessary to repeat this description and for this reason like reference numerals are given to all of theparts of thecontrol for thematerial 68 as weregiven for, .thecontrol of the material 61 except for a, contact III] and contact strips I13, as these are shown in the wiring diagram and need to be separately. distinguishable from the contact NH and contact stripsI-ll3.

Attention is now directed to Fig. 5, wherein the various features previously described are given like reference numerals in thewirin diagram. A source. of. electrical! energy isindicated at H5. It will be apparent that at all times the controls ofv the motors 45 and. are placed at their respective contacts and contactstrips II-0-II3 and I0 IIU3, respectively. 'Thus, upon movement of the contact III] into electrical engagement with its strips :I I3, a circuit, completed through the motor 45, may be traced iromthe sou-roe I15, through connection llfi, motor 4B,;termina1 and brush connections ring I9 through the COI153GtS.n- I3, through the frame of the head I0, to ground I I l andback to thesource H5 through ground I I8..- The, circuit for the motor 41, may; be tracedin a similar manner from the terminal and brush unit. 21-30, ring,20, throughcontacts I ll 03, through the frame of the head ID, to ground I I1 and back to the source I I5 through-the ground H8.

Considering now the operation of the device, let

it be assumed that the tapes or materials 61 and 68 are secured in a conventional manner to the core 33, that the core is advanced by suitable means (not shown), and that the serving head is rotating in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 1).

If desired, the advancing means for the core and the driving means for the device may be one and the same or so linked together that they operate in synchronism one with the other. During rotation of the serving head ID, the tapes are wound spirally upon the core. At the beginning of the operation with full supply pads 66, the holders 64 and 65 will be rotated at their minimum speeds, the variable transmission units 42 and:

43 having been previously adjusted for this purpose. With the springs 99, through their associated connecting means, linking them with their cradles. 88, constant and like tensions are created in the tapes. However, as the materials or tapes are withdrawn from their supplies at constant linear speed due to the constant speed of travel of the core, the reduction in the circumferential measurements of the supplies necessitates an increase in the rotary speed of the holders 64 and 65. The pull on the tapes as they are served to the core will not increase this rotary speed of the holders, and as a result portions of the loops at the rollers 8| are used, causing movement to the right of the cradles 88 to eventually move the contacts Iill and H0 into electrical engagement with their contact strips I63 and I I3. When this occurs, the electrical circuits through the motors 46 and 41 are completed, causing variation in the transmission units 42 and 43 and causing an increase in the rotary speed of the holders 64 and 65. This operation continues at intervals during the rotation of the serving head so as to increase the rotary speed of the supplies with the decrease in the diameters or circumferential measurements thereof. As a result, the cradles 88 remain within approximately the centers of their housings, alternately causing closure of the electrical circuits when their respective loops in their tapes are shortened, and opening the circuits through the forces of their springs 99 when the rotary Speeds of the supplies have been increased desirably. During this operation it will be apparent that the cradles 88 move in paths parallel with the core and the axis of rotation of the serving head, the purpose for this being to cancel the effect of centrifugal force. Furthermore, the cradles are supported by and move on the roller bearings 90, 9| and 92, minimizing any frictional resistance.

From the previous description it may have been understood that the supplies 66 and their holders 64 are under the direct influence of the gears 44 and 45. It is true that the speeds of rotation of the supplies and their holders are completely governed through the trains of gears linked to the main power means or gear 39 with their intermediate variable speed transmission units 42 and 43. However, the fact remains that the gears 57 and 58 are in efiect sun gears about which planet gears 16 and 78 travel during the rotation of the serving head. The sun gears, however, if held stationary would cause rotation of the planet gears at constant speeds to impart constant rotary movements to the holders and their supplies. This result, however, is not desired in the present instanceand it is through the other 'gear trains that the sun gears 51 and 58 may at times be rotated with the serving head so that there will be no rotary movement of the supplies, whil at other times the sun gears may be rotated together or independently at like or different speeds, to bring about rotation of their supplies in the desired directions. As a result, the supplies are kept in pace with the linear speed of the material to the core as they decrease in size, andtheir control means operate independently of each other. For example, the supplies 66 may be identical when originally mounted on their holders. Due to the fact that one tape, for

. example, tape 68, is wound upon the tape 61 while the latter is wound directly upon the core, it may be said that the supply for the tape-68 may decrease in size faster than that for the tape 61.

In this instance the advantage of controlling each supply separately is apparent.

After the supplies of tape havebeen exhausted, the device may be stopped and new supplies inserted in place. At this time it is necessary for the operator, through suitable means not shown, to return the controls for the variable speed' transmission units 42 and 43 to their starting positions. After this has been accomplished and the new tapes secured to the core, the device may again be set in operation. The device may be stopped prior to the exhausting of the tape, which in most instances is desirable, and in this case there are two intervals, at the beginning and at the end of the operations, when the device is operating at ascending and descending speeds. During these intervals, it should be understood that through the direct connection at the gear 39 with the driving means, the speed of rotation of the holders is in direct proportion to the speed of rotation of the serving head. By this means the speed of the serving head may be greatly increased as the effect of centrifugal force, regardless of the speed of the head, is eliminated through the driving of the supplies.

material therefrom, means to move the supply in a circular path about an advancing core to cause wrapping of the material on the core and unwinding of the material from the supply, means to create a given tension in the material, and means responsive to any variations in the tension in the material to rotate the supply at varied speeds.

2. An unwinding control device comprising a rotatable supply of material whose circumferential dimension varies with the unwinding of the material therefrom, means to move the supply in a, circular path about an advancing core to cause wrapping of the material on the core and unwinding of the material from the supply, means to create a given tension in the material. and means responsive to any variations in the tension in the material to rotate the supply at speeds variable with the said dimensions.

3. An unwinding control device comprising a rotatable supply of material whose circumferenserving head rotatable about an advancing core,

a supply of material whose circumferential! dimension varieswith the unwinding of the material therefrommounted for rotation in the head, means to feed the material to thecore; and means including a planetary gear train to rotate the supply at speeds variable with the said dimensions.

5. An unwinding control device comprising a serving head rotatable about an advancing core, a supply of material whose circumferential dimension varies with the unwinding. of the material therefrom mounted for rotation in the head, means to feed the material to the core,v means including a planet gear supported by the head and adapted to travel with the head andabout a sun gear to cause rotation ofthe supply, and means to cause rotation of the sun gear to cause variation in the speed of rotation of the supply with variations in the said dimension thereof.

6; unwinding control device comprising a serving head rotatable about an advancing core,

a supply of material whose circumferential dimension varies with the unwinding of the material therefrom mounted for rotation in the head, means to feed the material to. the core, means includin a planet gear supported by the head and adapted to travel with the head and about a. sun gear to cause rotation of the supply, and a variable speed unit adapted to cause rotation of the sun gear at varying speeds to cause rotation of the supply at increasing speeds with the decreasing dimensions thereof.

7.. An unwinding control device comprising a serving head rotatable about an advancing core,

a supply of material whose circumferential dimension varies with the unwinding of the material therefrom mounted for rotation in the head; means to feed the material to the core, means including a planet gear supported by the head andadapted to travel with the head and abouta sungear to cause rotation of the supply, a variable speed unit adapted to cause rotation of the sun gear at varyingspeeds to cause rotation of the-supply at increasing speeds with the decreasing dimensions thereof, and means under the control of the material to control the variable speed unit.

ELLWOOD W. REYNOLDS. 

